Why we are all Lottery winners in Shropshire

It's the same story every week. We sit on the sofa, fingers crossed, just like the National Lottery's iconic blue logo.

We hope for a win, our hopes are dashed and our money washes down the drain.

Right?

Wrong.

In the 20 years since the National Lottery began, a river of money has flowed into Shropshire. Some has gone straight to the lucky winners, like Ludlow husband-and-wife Robin and Christine Kiddie, who scooped a humungous £6.3 million last year after buying a ticket from Tesco.

But millions more has gone into worthy schemes that provide significant benefit for local communities. And that cash comes straight from unlucky losers, who have missed out on the jackpot.

A staggering 2,658 grants have been made to organisations in Shropshire and the National Lottery has handed the county an incredible £174 million.

That is part of an even bigger windfall. The National Lottery donates 28 per cent of each ticket – that's 56p of each £2 – direct to good causes. Since 1994, it's given £31 billion to the nation to create, support, build, encourage and save some 420,000 projects across the UK.

Newly developed parks; iconic new art galleries; youth theatre projects; sports tracks; leisure centres; brass bands; new swimming pools – the projects are everywhere we look.

Vicki Kennedy, director of the National Lottery Promotions Unit, says: "The National Lottery has been quietly transforming communities and changing lives on an astonishing scale for almost 20 years, and yet people visiting the museums, art galleries, charities, leisure centres and parks are often blissfully unaware they were built or improved by money raised by National Lottery players."

There have been many noteworthy beneficiaries in Shropshire and Mid Wales.

The National Lottery has helped to preserve wonderful museums and ancient buildings, conserve the natural world, open up and improve beautiful parks and landscapes and facilitate access and learning.

It has helped people to gain new skills, work with volunteers of all ages, and energise local communities to get involved involved.

A wide variety of projects have received cash. Lottery money helped local young people to learn about the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in World War II and gave Shrewsbury's well-used town park a new lease of life.

Shrewsbury Music Hall, South Shropshire Youth Forum, Jackfield Tile Museum and South Shropshire Youth Forum have all won grants.

The impact on local communities and local people has been extensive.

In Mid Wales, Llanymynech Limeworks received a £492,000 grant to create The Story of Limestone, for an open-air museum where buildings were in a dilapidated condition.

At The Hollies, on The Stiperstones, Shropshire Wildlife Trust received a £149,000 grant to acquire 36 hectares of land, described as "one of the finest remaining examples of moorland surviving in the country", and create a nature reserve.

An assault glider project at RAF Shawbury was given a £50,000 grant for a scheme telling young people about the role played by unique aircraft.

In Shrewsbury, Quarry Park and Victoria Avenue received a £1.5 million grant towards comprehensive improvements.

There have been a handful of Shropshire winners who've defied the odds and scooped big prizes, of course.

Lucky winners in Shropshire have scooped tens of millions from a jackpot fund of around £1 billion.

The lives of Louise and Keith Gough, of Bridgnorth, were changed forever when they scooped £9,001,406 in June 2005. Mr Gough, however, found that money couldn't buy him happiness. He died in 2010, claiming that his Lottery win had ruined his life, leaving him penniless, alone and alcoholic.

The biggest syndicate winner was from the Palethorpes Pie Factory, at Market Drayton, which netted £6,750,278.40, working out at a win of £204,553.89 for each of the 33 members.

David and Marina Williams, of Telford, won almost £1 million and there have been dozens more publiclly-acknowledged winners.

Last month, a factory worker who popped into a shop to buy a fizzy drink scooped £300,000 on a scratchcard. Shaun Mulligan bought the £3 ticket at Vineyard Stores in Newport last month.

Shaun, who works at automatic door manufacturers Horton Automatics in Telford, said at the time of the win: "I just can't believe my luck and I'm still finding it hard to take in.

"It was only the fourth scratchcard I have bought. I did win £6.90 on the EuroMillions draw a couple of days before but never dreamed I would win this big.

"I had to get a few people to check the card and make sure that I had revealed all the numbers in the corners of all the Bingo games to win the jackpot."

Robert Pardoe, who works as a butcher at Morrisons in Wellington, won £100,000 in March. The 57-year-old only bought the £2 ticket to get change out of a £10 note for his 18-year-old daughter Laura.

But perhaps we can all consider ourselves winners thanks to the dozens of projects in Shropshire and Mid Wales that have received money.

So, next time you shuffle off to the newsagent to lose £1 on a Lottery ticket, don't worry . . . you're actually investing in the heritage on your very doorstep.